Use This Guide To Buy Dad Something He Actually Wants For A Change

While a report this week says men still get
paid more than women for working the same job, there’s no gender
gap when it comes to gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s
Day.

“Seventy percent of consumers are planning to spend the same
amount of money on Father’s Day gifts as they did on Mother’s Day
gifts this year,” says shopping site PriceGrabber. It surveyed 4,450 of its
shoppers and found…

57 percent will spend less than $100

21 percent will spend between $100 and $249

11 percent will spend more than $250.

11 percent say they don’t have a budget

But regardless of what you plan to spend, do you know what to
buy?

1. Shop online

PriceGrabber says only 36 percent of us will buy a Father’s Day
gift from a brick-and-mortar store. The rest will buy online. And
why not? It’s easy. Many shopping sites have grouped their wares
into Father’s Day gift guides. Here’s just a sample…

Amazon.com has the most
comprehensive guide, from traditional neckties
and ”Updated Wingtips” to all the latest tech toys.

PriceGrabber, of course, compiled
its own guide – why else would they pay for the survey? While
tools and tech abound, it has a long list of after-shaves and
colognes.

Bed, Bath & Beyond should add
the word “Beer” to its name. Its Father’s Day gift guide
features a Mr. Beer brewing kit, craft beer glasses, a “Half
Yard of Ale Glass with Stand” (it’s exactly what it sounds
like), and a “Keg O Rator” (don’t ask).

Mrs. Fields Cookies wants to
fatten up your father. It offers a dozen tasty and high-calorie
treats ranging from a “Happy Father’s Day Cookie Cake” for $38
to a “Father’s Day Personalized Tin” that can hold up to 112
cookies for $45.

Uncommon Goods lives up to its
name, with gifts that include a “corksickle,” “railroad date
nail cufflinks,” and “Himalayan salt tequila glasses.”

2. Search online

Shopping sites are obviously promoting their own products, but
what if you want objective reviews? Check out these online and
print magazines…

CNET is one of the largest tech
sites in the world, so obviously, they ain’t selling neckties
and beer mugs. Their guide kicks off with a helpful
three-minute video.

GQ Magazine is big on cigar
cutters, humidors, cuff links, and fancy (and expensive) pens.
That makes sense, since GQ is a men’s magazine, and these are
perfect gifts for a dad from a son.

Lucky, on the other hand, is a
woman’s magazine. It suggests gifts for under $50 that include
body wash, smartphone accessories – and a subscription to GQ.

Men’s Fitness recommends,
true to its name, healthy gifts like a high-end electric
toothbrush and age-defying skin cream. But then there’s a
coffee maker and cigars. Huh?

Wired Magazine touts the most
expensive item we’ve seen this year: “An Original Everlasting
Gobstopper” from 1971 movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate
Factory. Price at auction: starting at $20,000. Cheaper yet
not-much-more-practical items include an updated version of the
board game Battleship and a book for new parents
called How Not to Kill Your Baby.

3. Listen to the man

Ebates.com is an online coupon
site that recently conducted a survey of its own – and it’s
fascinating. Why? Because it asked dads what they want for
Father’s Day, then asked women what they think dads want
for Father’s Day.

Sixty percent of women said their dads want tickets to a sporting
event – but more than half the dads said they wanted a tablet
computer or a smartphone.

Those dads are going to be disappointed – that
aforementioned PriceGrabber survey found that only 18
percent of shoppers plan on buying a tech gadget for Father’s
Day.